Former St. Mary's student Josh Hansford receives the inaugural 'Showmanship Cup' presented to students at St. Mary's school in appreciation for their hard work to produce, write and star in a CFL-themed music video.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Performing arts students from St. Mary’s School were recognized Monday for their work in writing, producing and starring in a CFL-themed song and video with two awards gifted to the school by founder of the History & Heroes Foundation and former Lieutenant Governor, Lois Mitchell.
Every year, for the next five years, two students in the academy of arts will be chosen to win the ‘Showmanship Cup’ and will be awarded to a male and female student who display the finest “Showmanship Qualities,” each year.
As well, every year for the next five years, the top rookie football player on the St. Mary’s Colts will receive the “Appreciation Cup” to value the team’s contributions to the CFL rules song production in June.
Each award recipient will receive a collectors coin from the Royal Canadian Mint.
“It just showed such appreciation to these students for that hard work,” explains Parkor Thomas, choral teacher at St. Mary’s.
Last year the school was approached with a unique concept to have students write and record a theme song for the Canadian Football League about the rules of the game, an idea brainstormed by a friend of Mitchel, Rob Lennard, who is well-known provincial historian who has written several books and produced hundreds of videos showcasing historical people and events.
Around 40 students eagerly accepted the challenge and spent months studying Canadian football and learning the league’s rules so they could write seven catchy verses for the song that is designed to clear up some of the confusion for people who may not understand football and introduce new Canadians to the sport.
Throughout the school year Lennard occasionally met the performing arts students to work on the three-minute melody, and once the song lyrics were finalized students auditioned for seven solo parts and the final version was recorded at STIR Studio.
In June, Lennard and a production team from Calgary took over the Methanex Bowl for a day-long production to shoot a music video that included dozens of local football players from the McCoy Colts and St. Mary’s junior program, Toxic Elite Cheerleaders, jugglers, stilt walkers and a five-person camera crew.
“These were the kids that took time out of their schedules to brainstorm ideas, they took time to learn the rules of the CFL and took time to write the song, and it was no easy feat, writing a song about the rules of the CFL,” explains Thomas. “They came at it with creativity, with zeal and they said, ‘Let’s do this.’ It was our teamwork and unity coming together to say we want to make something special happen.”
Former St. Mary’s student Josh Hansford was the male recipient for the inaugural ‘Showmanship Cup’ and was recognized for his dedication toward the project while facing adversity.
“He was there from the beginning, he was a believer in this project,” said Thomas, adding Hansford was involved in writing quite a few of the song’s lyrics and contributed to a “really good creative dynamic” during the writing session.
Thomas says the former Grade 9 student broke his arm on the same day he was scheduled to record his solo versus in the studio.
“Even in the midst of breaking his arm, he shows up to the recording studio, just after having a cast put on, and sings and does solos,” says Thomas.
Even more fittingly, Hansford’s arm cast was removed the same morning of the video shoot at Methane Bowl.
“He got his cast off that morning at like 9 a.m. and he showed up with his arm just out of the cast, and did the music video as well,” explains Thomas. “And so we just thought the showmanship qualities were just amazing in him.”
The music video titled “The CFL Rule Song” debuted on Bow Valley Ranche Productions’ YouTube page two months ago. Students sing to a catchy tune recorded by two-time Juno nominated trumpet player Al Muirhead, Juno nominated saxophonist Pat Belliveau, as well as pianist Derek Stoll.
Since its release the video has been played during a Canadian citizenship ceremony held at McMahon Stadium in Calgary and was recently debuted internationally at the Banff Springs Hotel.
“They had four screens set up in the Cascade Ballroom in a packed place, and it actually received roaring appreciation,” said Lennard.
And Lennard is currently in talks with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are considering hosting St. Mary’s students and Toxic Elite cheerleaders next season during a home game to perform the song during halftime.
To promote the video to students and new fans of the CFL, Lennard has launched a province-wide contest in schools called the CFL Rule Song Contest, through the History and Heroes Foundation.
Students at participating schools will be asked to answer 10 questions about the league’s rules that can be answered while watching the music video. Quizzes submitted will enter a draw to receive a visit from Lennard and a former CFL football player to give away tickets to an Edmonton Elks or Calgary Stampeders game next spring.
Lennard also has plans to enter the video into the Alberta Film and Television Awards next summer under the next education category, and also plans to have the video translated into multiple languages to help target a wider audience of new football fans.
A national contest will also be launched next spring with a focus on new Canadians who have never seen a CFL game in person.
The production will also be shown at a variety of festivals and events during the week leading up to this year’s Grey Cup in Vancouver.
“Its so special to see, as a teacher, kids living a life of joy and taking opportunities and taking risks,” says Thomas. “This was a risk at the end of the day and these kids weren’t told, ‘You’re going to get something out of it,’ they just had this energy and commitment to this project.”
